[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 47 (Friday, March 10, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13342-13346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5991]
[[Page 13341]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part VII
Department of Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
_______________________________________________________________________
Special Research Grants Program, Water Quality for Fiscal Year 1995,
Solicitation of Applications; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 47 / Friday, March 10, 1995 /
Notices
[[Page 13342]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
Special Research Grants Program, Water Quality for Fiscal Year
1995; Solicitation of Applications
Applications are invited for competitive grant awards under the
Special Research Grants Program, Water Quality for Fiscal Year 1995.
Authority and Funding
The authority for this program is contained in section 2(c)(1)(A)
of the Act of August 4, 1965, Public Law No. 89-106, as amended by the
Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, Public Law No.
101-624 (7 U.S.C. 450i(c)(1)(A)). This program is administered by the
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)
of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (The CSREES was
established by Section 251(d)(1) of Public Law 103-354, the Federal
Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act
of 1994, and the functions of the Cooperative State Research Service
were transferred to the CSREES by Section 2.b(7) of the Secretary of
Agriculture's Memorandum 1010-1, dated October 20, 1994.) Under this
program, and subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary may
award grants for periods not to exceed five years, for the support of
research projects to further the program discussed below. Proposals may
be submitted by State agricultural experiment stations, all colleges
and universities, other research institutions and organizations,
Federal agencies, private organizations or corporations, and
individuals. Proposals from scientists at non-United States
organizations will not be considered for support.
Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis to support water
quality research within the scope of the program. A total of
approximately $1,000,000 will be available for this program in Fiscal
Year 1995. Funding requested for each proposal submitted in Fiscal Year
1995 shall not exceed $500,000 for a period of one year. Two proposals
are expected to be funded in Fiscal Year 1995. Under this program, the
maximum total funding that may be requested over a funding period of
five years shall not exceed $2,000,000 per proposal. Funding for years
two through five will depend upon the availability of funds and
progress toward the objectives.
Pursuant to Section 712 of Public Law 103-330, (the Agriculture,
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1995), funds available in Fiscal Year 1995 to pay
indirect costs on research grants awarded competitively by CSREES may
not exceed 14 per centum of the total Federal funds provided under each
award.
In addition, pursuant to Section 719(b) of Public Law No. 103-330,
in case any equipment or products may be authorized to be purchased
with funds provided under this program, entities receiving such funds
are encouraged to use such funds to purchase only American-made
equipment or products.
Applicable Regulations
Regulations applicable to this program include the following: (a)
the administrative provisions governing the Special Research Grants
Program, 7 CFR part 3400, as amended (56 FR 58146, November 15, 1991)
which set forth procedures to be followed when submitting grant
proposals, rules governing the evaluation of proposals and the awarding
of grants, and regulations relating to the post-award administration of
grant projects; (b) the USDA Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations, 7
CFR part 3015; (c) the USDA Uniform Administrative Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments, 7 CFR
part 3016; (d) the Audits of Institutions of Higher Education and Other
Nonprofit Institutions, 7 CFR part 3051 (58 FR 41410, August 3, 1993);
(e) the Governmentwide Debarment and Supervision (Nonprocurement) and
Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants), 7 CFR
part 3017, as amended; and (f) New Restrictions on Lobbying, 7 CFR part
3018.
Program Description
Program-related questions should be directed to either of the
following:
Dr. Maurice L. Horton
Dr. Berlie L. Schmidt
Phone No. (202) 401-4504
Fax No. (202) 401-1706
The scope of research includes developing principles to better
understand the processes and interactions occurring in soil and crop
management systems involving the use of certain pesticides, fertilizers
and wastes which may impact water quality. The research should have a
holistic point of view including products to be developed and a plan
for transfer of new technology.
The focus of the Fiscal Year 1995 research is to develop new and
innovative agricultural management strategies for use by farmers and
public officials to reduce or prevent pollution of water sources. The
research must address water quality problems at the landscape--
watershed scale. Traditional small plot research is not excluded but
must be integrated into an overall project where direct evidence is
obtained at the watershed scale. The proposed strategies for reducing
pollution should be developed in partnership with Federal, State and
local agencies, universities, private industry, public interest groups
or other stakeholders. Economic and environmental impacts upon water
quality are to be considered. The final product of the research should
be agricultural management systems that will be effective in reducing
pollution on a watershed scale, economical to implement, sustainable,
acceptable to producers, and in compliance with policy guidelines.
In the water quality program, the term ``AGRICULTURE'' encompasses
the production of food, feed, fiber, and industrial crops, trees and
livestock, and includes rural residences and rural communities, forests
and wooded areas. Proposals on health risk problems are excluded.
Format for Research Grant Proposals
The administrative provisions governing the Special Research Grants
Program, 7 CFR part 3400, set forth instructions for the preparation of
grant proposals. The following proposal format requirements are in
addition to or deviate from those contained in 7 CFR part 3400.4(c). In
accordance with 7 CFR part 3400.4(c), to the extent that any of the
following additional requirements are inconsistent or in conflict with
the instructions at 7 CFR part 3400.4(c), the provisions of this
solicitation shall apply.
The sections of the proposal shall be assembled in the following
order: (1) Application for Funding, (2) Title of Project, (3) Abstract,
(4) Key Words, (5) Justification, (6) Objectives, (7) Procedures, (8)
Research Timetable, (9) Literature Review, (10) Current Research, (11)
Facilities and Equipment, (12) Collaborative Arrangements, (13)
Curriculum Vitae of Investigators, (14), Budget, (15) Assurance
Statements(s), if applicable, (16) Current and Pending Support, and
(17) NEPA statement. Items (2) through (9) are limited to 25 pages,
including any figures or tables. The curriculum vitae should be limited
to a presentation of academic and research credentials, e.g.,
educational, [[Page 13343]] employment and professional history, and
honors and awards. Unless pertinent to the project, do not include
meetings attended, seminars given, or personal data such as birth date,
marital status, or community activities. The vitae shall be no more
than 2 pages each in length, excluding publications listings. A
chronological list of all relevant publications in referred journals
during the past five years, including those in press, must be provided
for each professional project member for whom a curriculum vitae is
provided. Also list those non-referred technical publications that have
relevance to the proposed project. Authors should be listed in the same
order as they appear on each paper cited, along with the title and
complete reference.
Application for Funding. Attach a completed and signed Application
for Funding, Form CSRS-661, to the front of the proposal. The original
copy of Form CSRS-661, must contain pen-and-ink signatures of the
principal investigator(s) and the authorized organizational
representative. Form CSRS-661 and other required forms and
certifications are contained in the Application Kit.
Type and Paper Size. Type should be no smaller than 12 characters
per inch (12 pitch or 10 point), single-spaced on one side of 8 \1/
2\'' x 11'' paper with margins of one inch or greater. Total length of
the proposal text shall not exceed 25 pages as stated above. Reduction
by photocopying or other means for the purpose of meeting above-stated
page limits is not permitted. Attachment of appendices is not
permitted. Proposals which do not fall within the guidelines of this
solicitation will be eliminated from the competition and will be
returned to the applicant, as stated in Section 3400.14(a) of the
Administrative Provisions governing the Special Research Grants
Program.
Abstract and Key Words. The body of the proposal should be prefaced
by an abstract and key words which are used to classify the proposal.
Abstract. Include factual, concise, and clear statements of
proposed research as phrases or sentences. Limit the length of the
abstract to about one-half page.
Key Words. Select two double words or four single words that
describe the research emphasis, such as water quality, conservation
tillage, nitrates, tillage, models, or contaminants.
Justification. Describe the water quality problems, or potential
problems, including: where they occur; relevance to site-specific,
watershed, regional, State, and national size scales. The expected
application or use of resulting information should be explained; for
example: value to the economy, methods of chemical analyses, need for
specific model, basis of recommendations, understanding of processes,
or relevancy to a specific water quality research program.
Multi-Institutions/Organizations. Multi-disciplinary and multi-
institution collaboration is required. Collaborators must demonstrate
significant contributions to the planning and conduct of the research.
Collaborators or cooperative arrangements may include universities,
other research organizations, or federal or state agencies such as the
Agricultural Research Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service,
Cooperative State Research Education, and Extension Service (except
Natural Resources and the Environment, which will be the unit within
CSREES awarding the special grant), State Agricultural or Natural
Resource Agencies, Economic Research Service, U.S. Geological Survey,
and the Environmental Protection Agency. Projects such as Hydrologic
Unit Areas, Management Systems Evaluation Areas (MSEA), Demonstration
Sites, Farmstead Assessment, and Area Studies provide excellent
opportunities for collaboration. Evidence, such as letters of intent,
should be provided to assure peer reviewers that the collaborators
involved have agreed to render their service.
Budget, Form CSRS-55. A copy of Form CSRS-55, along with
instructions for completing it, is included in the Application Kit.
Applicants should note the special instructions shown below when
completing Form CSRS-55.
Item D., ``Nonexpendable Equipment.'' Requested items of equipment
must be itemized (by description and cost) on a separate sheet of paper
attached to Form CSRS-55, or in the body of the proposal. The need for
all requested equipment must be fully justified in the proposal.
Item F., ``Travel.'' The type and extent of travel and its
relationship to project objectives should be described and justified.
It should be noted that the terms and conditions of any grant awarded
under this program will require Principal Investigators, as defined at
7 CFR 3400.2(c), to participate in at least one annual regional or
national research reporting, evaluation, and planning workshop or
conference, for the purpose of interstate, interagency, and
interdisciplinary coordination in this water quality program. Funds may
be requested under this budget category for these workshop/conference
costs.
Item I., ``All Other Direct Costs.'' Subawards are to be shown on
each budget sheet of the primary budget. Subawardee budgets should be
provided on separate forms in the same detail.
Item K., ``Indirect Costs.'' The recovery of indirect costs under
this program may not exceed the lesser of the grantee institution's
official negotiated indirect cost rate or the equivalent of 14% of
total Federal funds awarded. This limitation also applies to the
recovery of indirect costs by any subawardee or subcontractor, and
should be reflected in the subrecipient budget.
Compliance With the National Environmental Policy Act
As outlined in 7 CFR part 3407 (the CSREES regulations implementing
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969), environmental data for
any proposed project is to be provided to CSREES so that CSREES may
determine whether any further action is needed. The applicant shall
review the following categorical exclusions and determine if the
proposed project may fall within one of the categories.
(1) Department of Agriculture Categorical Exclusions (7 CFR 1b.3)
(i) Policy development, planning and implementation which are
related to routine activities such as personnel, organizational
changes, or similar administrative functions;
(ii) Activities which deal solely with the functions of programs,
such as program budget proposals, disbursements, and transfer or
reprogramming of funds;
(iii) Inventories, research activities, and studies, such as
resource inventories and routine data collection when such actions are
clearly limited in context and intensity;
(iv) Educational and informational programs and activities;
(v) Civil and criminal law enforcement and investigative
activities;
(vi) Activities which are advisory and consultative to other
agencies and public and private entities; and
(vii) Activities related to trade representation and market
development activities abroad.
(2) CSREES Categorical Exclusions (7 CFR 3407.6(a)(2))
Based on previous experience, the following categories of CSREES
actions are excluded because they have been found to have limited scope
and intensity and to have no significant individual or cumulative
impacts on the quality of the human environment: [[Page 13344]]
(i) The following categories of research programs or projects of
limited size and magnitude or with only short-term effects on the
environment:
(A) Research conducted within any laboratory, greenhouse, or other
contained facility where research practices and safeguards prevent
environmental impacts;
(B) Surveys, inventories, and similar studies that have limited
context and minimal intensity in terms of changes in the environment;
and
(C) Testing outside of the laboratory, such as in small isolated
field plots, which involves the routine use of familiar chemicals or
biological materials.
(ii) Routine renovation, rehabilitation, or revitalization of
physical facilities, including the acquisition and installation of
equipment, where such activity is limited in scope and intensity.
In order for CSREES to determine whether any further action is
needed with respect to NEPA, pertinent information regarding the
possible environmental impacts of a particular project is necessary;
therefore, Form CSRS-1234, ``NEPA Exclusions Form'' (copy enclosed),
must be included in the proposal indicating whether the applicant is of
the opinion that the project falls within a categorical exclusion and
the reasons therefor. If it is the applicant's opinion that the
proposed project falls within the categorical exclusions, the specific
exclusion must be identified. The information submitted shall be
identified in the Table of Contents as NEPA Considerations and Form
CSRS-1234 and supporting documentation shall be place after the Form
CSRS-661, ``Application for Funding,'' in the proposal.
Even though the applicant considers that a proposed project may
fall within a categorical exclusion, CSREES may determine that an
Environmental Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement is
necessary for a proposed project if substantial controversy on
environmental grounds exists or if other extraordinary conditions or
circumstances are present that may cause such activity to have a
significant environmental effect.
Review Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated by a peer review group of qualified
scientists selected in accord with Section 3400.11 of the
administrative provisions governing the Special Research Grants
Program. Pursuant to 7 CFR part 3400.5(a), the following selection
criteria for proposals will be used in lieu of those which appear in
Section 3400.15 of the administrative provisions:
Selection Criteria--Maximum Score
Overall Scientific and Technical Quality--40
--Creative and innovative scientific approach
--Clear, concise, and achievable objectives
--Technical soundness of procedures
--Feasibility of attaining objectives
--Applicability to watershed scale systems
Justification, Review of Literature and Current Research--15
--Importance of the problem
--Relevance of proposed research to solution of the problem
--Literature focused on specific research approach and objective
Budget, Resources, and Personnel--15
--Necessary facilities, resources, and personnel available
--Funds contributed by other agencies
--Budget appropriate for proposed research
--Demonstrated scientific capability of investigators
Collarboration--20
--Evidence of significant contributions by collaborators
--Evidence and justification of multi-disciplinary and/or multi-
institutional and multi-agency collaboration
Application of Research Results--10
--Planned application and implementation of research results
--Extension, transferability, and publication of results
--Potential for results to enhance agricultural sustainability
Total--100
How To Obtain Application Materials
Copies of this solicitation, the Application Kit, and the
administrative provisions governing this program, 7 CFR Part 3400, may
be obtained by writing to the address or calling the telephone number
which follows: Proposal Services Branch; Awards Management Division;
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; U.S.
Department of Agriculture; Ag Box 2245; Washington, DC 20250-2245;
Telephone: (202) 401-5048.
These materials may also be requested via Internet by sending a
message with your name, mailing address (not e-mail) and phone number
to psb@morrill.esusda.gov. which states that you want a copy of the
application materials for the Fiscal Year 1995 Special Research Grants
Program, Water Quality. The materials will then be mailed to you (not
e-mailed) as quickly as possible.
Applicants should note that separate but complementary programs in
water resources assessment and protection, soils and soil biology, and
agricultural systems exist within the CSREES National Research
Initiative Competitive Grants Program. For further information on that
program, contact the Proposal Services Branch at the address listed
above. Proposals should be submitted to the most appropriate program--
submission of duplicate proposals or proposals with substantial overlap
to both programs is discouraged.
What To Submit
An original and twelve copies of each proposal, prepared in
accordance with the instructions found above, must be submitted. This
number of copies is necessary to permit thorough, objective peer
evaluation of all proposals received before funding decisions are made.
All copies of a proposal must be mailed in one package and each
copy must be stapled securely in the upper left-hand corner. Every
effort should be made to ensure that the proposal contains all
pertinent information when initially submitted.
One copy of each proposal not selected for funding will be retained
for a period of one year. The remaining copies will be destroyed.
Where and When To Submit Applications
To be considered for funding during Fiscal Year 1995, proposals
must be submitted by April 28, 1995.
Proposals submitted through the regular mail must be postmarked by
April 28, 1995, and should be sent to the following address: Proposal
Services Branch; Awards Management Division; Cooperative State
Research, Education, and Extension Service; U.S. Department of
Agriculture; Ag Box 2245; Washington, D.C. 20250-2245. The telephone
number is: (202) 401-5048.
Hand-delivered proposals must be submitted to an express mail or
courier service by April 28, 1995, or brought to the following address
by 4:30 p.m. on April 28, 1995: Proposal Services Branch; Awards
Management Division; Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture; Room 303, Aerospace
Center; 901 D Street, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20024. The telephone
number is: (202) 401-5048.
Supplementary Information
The Special Research Grants Program is listed in the Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance under No. 10.200. [[Page 13345]] For
reasons set forth in the final Rule-related Notice to 7 CFR part 3015,
subpart V (48 FR 29115, June 24, 1983), this program is excluded from
the scope of Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental
consultation with State and local officials.
Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (44
U.S.C. 3504(h)), the collection of information requirements contained
in this Notice have been approved under OMB Document No. 0524-0022.
Done at Washington, DC, this 6th day of March 1995.
K. Jane Coulter,
Acting Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service.
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